Coronavirus: Two Covid-19 assessment centres open in Abu Dhabi

Centres are dedicated for people who test positive for coronavirus

A total of 150 medics will be on site caring for Covid-19 patients

Beds and medical equipment have already been installed

Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre is to open as an emergency field hospital. All pictures courtesy Adnec

The sprawling site will have the capacity to treat 1,000 patients

Workers help to fit out the vast medical facility

Waves of cubicles have been set up to treat patients safely

The Adnec facility is one of two new field hospitals built in Abu Dhabi

The huge space available at the exhibition centre is being put to good use to help those in need of treatment

Patients who have contracted Covid-19 will be treated at the new facility

Partitioned cubicles have been set up at the Adnec venue

Workmen begin transforming Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre into a huge field hospital. Courtesy: Adnec

The Exhibition centre has been rapidly transformed into a field hospital

Two coronavirus assessment centres opened in Abu Dhabi emirate on Wednesday.

The Covid-19 Prime Assessment Centres are operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services, or Seha, and were set up in the field hospitals at the Abu Dhabi and Al Ain convention centres.

They are exclusively for people who test positive for Covid-19. Patients report to the centre, where they are told what to do next.

This could include being sent to hospital if cases are moderate, or being given a tracking device and asked to isolate at home for two weeks, if the patient shows no symptoms or has only a mild case.

Medical staff and volunteers at the centres are multilingual to help the UAE's diverse population.

Coronavirus patients have their initial check at these centres, where their vital signs are recorded, an electrocardiogram is conducted and their blood is drawn.

The centres open between 8am and 8pm every day. The one at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre can deal with up to 2,000 patients each day, while 1,500 people can visit the Al Ain centre.

"The centres provide patients with easy and safe access to further testing, medical assessment and guidance at the hands of qualified medical professionals and volunteers speaking various languages," the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office reported.

Safety measures are in place to ensure staff and volunteers do not become infected.

These include physical-distancing markers on the floor, mandatory personal protection equipment and screen barriers.

The centres have several entries and separate halls to be used by patients, depending on the severity of their illness.

Seha operates more than a dozen drive-through screening centres across the country.